we're back now with more of "today" on a tuesday morning. it's 259th of september, 12. this is the time of year around here in new york it starts off nice and cool and then warms up beautifully for the people on the plaza. low 70s for these people here which is nice under brilliant sunshine >> you're pretty good at the weather forecast. >> learn from the best, by osmosis. >> classes after the show. see if you can stop by. >> yesterday it was pointing this year. >> tomorrow it's pointing this way. >> i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie and al roker. coming up, we're going to have you spending money and saving money at the very same time. jill martin is here with your steals and deals segment. up to 80% off everything from

luggage, to jewelry, and we're going to check in with jill in just a couple of minutes. this is exclusively for our "today" show viewers. >> this sounds like my wife's economics. >> save so much. >> how much did you save. >> that's no fun. 80% off. a screaming deal. also ahead, how do you like the sound of this? snookie's law. actually a state legislature in new jersey who wants to amend the laws to take care of certain reality shows like "jersey shore." >> so local communities have more say what shows come and film. >> exactly, and hiring more police as the need may be in some cases. we'll talk about that at the top of the hour. we'll talk about the supermodel in italy who walked the runway. she's six months pregnant, and it's kind of stirring up a little bit of a controversy. there she is. so we'll talk about that. >> and today, she looks good. >> are you kidding? >> i know. >> we should all look so good, yeah. >> little miss grumpy pants, okay.

you look okay, okay? every dollar counts these days. bad investments can really wipe you out. five tips for avoiding bad economic advice and tips for choosing the right economic adviser. >> taking a tip from al's class yesterday, let's go inside to natalie at the news desk. >> thank you, matt, savannah and al. good morning, everyone. a hotly contested call by an nfl replacement referee has the sports world outraged. the last second hail mary pass from the seahawks was ruled a touchdown giving seattle a win over the green bay packers. replace appear to show that the pass was inaccepted but after lengthy reviews the officials upheld the game-deciding call. the nfl is currently undergoing a lockout for referees leaving replacement firms on the field. the campaign trail leads to new york city today as the commander in chief addresses united nations general assembly, and both candidates address the clinton global initiatives annual meeting. also today, gop presidential candidate mitt romney drops by nbc's education nation summit. that's where nbc's peter

alexander is this morning. peter, good morning. >> reporter: natalie, good morning to you at the united nations today. president obama will confront unrest in the middle east in the muslim world specifically, warning of what he will call forces that would drive us apart, and while the debates are still eight days away, the differences between these two candidates on foreign policy are now taking center stage. in the must-win battleground of colorado monday, mitt romney previewed his foreign policy arguments against the president. >> he said the developments in the middle east are bumps in the road. yeah, that was my reaction. bumps in the road? we had -- we had an ambassador assassinated. these are not bumps in the road. these are human lives. >> the white house called that assault desperate and offensive. romney was attacking the president's comments on "60 minutes" describing recent unrest in the middle east. >> but i was pretty certain and continue to be pretty certain that there are going to be bumps in the road because, you know,

in a lot of these places the one organizing principle has been islam. >> reporter: in an interview with nbc news romney criticized the president's remarks in more details. >> it includes the muslim brotherhood individual becoming president of egypt, it includes syria being in tumult, it includes ryan being on the cusp of having nuclear capability. it includes pakistan being in commotion. there are extraordinary events going on in the middle east, and considering those events, either one of them or all of them collectively as bumps in the road, shows a person who has a very different perspective about world affairs than the perspective i have. >> reporter: ahead of his speech at the united nations general assembly today, president obama shared a private dinner with heads of state monday. republicans have seized on the fact that the president hasn't scheduled a single one-on-one meeting with any world leader here, but on monday white house spokesman jay carney pushed back. >> he is intensively engaged, as he has been since he took the oath of office in, matters of foreign affairs and national

security. >> reporter: while most polls show romney trailing in the all-important swing state, including ohio where he's behind by five points and kicking off a bus tour today, romney told nbc news he remains confident. >> look, we're going to win. there's no question in my mind. we're going to win. the polls go up. polls go down. there have been some weeks i'm ahead, some weeks i'm behind. >> reporter: as for the president he's not ceding any ground. during a daytime tv conversation on the couch alongside the first lady, mr. obama hinted at a return to teaching after politi politics. >> first things first here. we do have an election ahead. the idea of being able to go around in various cities and helping to create mentorships and apprenticeships, just giving young people the sense of possibility. >> as we noted a little bit late they are afternoon, mitt romney will head to the critical battleground of ohio where he'll campaign alongside his running mate paul ryan. natalie, the two of them haven't

been together since september 1st. >> all right. peter alexander outside the new york public library. thanks so much, peter. the food company behind a peanut butter recall at trader joe's has now recalled 76 types of peanut and almond butter sold under a variety of brand names. sunderland incorporated says the butters were manufactured with the same equipment as the trader joe's equipment in a salmonella outbreak. could a pork apocalypse be unavoidable? this summer's drought drove up prices for animal feed and as a result farmers thinned out their pig herd. so hoard up while you can. a state politician wants to pass a snooki bill law that would let new jersey towns set rules for the taping of reality shows within their borders. for instance, they could require tv crews to pay for extra police officers to guard against the

kind of rowdy behavior sometimes displayed by snooki's "jersey shore" cast mates. we'll talk about all of this coming up in "take 3" today. let's go back to al with a check of the weather. >> the extra police could arm the borders and make sure people like that don't get in. anyway, let's see what we've got as far as your weather today. we've got a big weather system coming into the midwest and the mid-mississippi river valley. can you see heavy showers and thunderstorms firing up already. we have a risk of strong storms as the cooler air slides in from the north and warm air moves up from the south and in between, that's where the risk of strong storms are from missouri all the way into southern indiana. 1 to 3 inches, some areas as much as 4 inches of rain falling in the next 24 hour. that's what's ur good morning. it will turn out to be a nice day. tablatures warming up quickly. we will make it up to seven for today.

time now for today's "take 3" where al, natalie and i give our take on stories in the news and sitting in today, a guy who is so shy, that i hope we'll be able to draw him out. donny deutsch. >> here for help. this is a therapy session for you guys to pull it out. >> it is. >> speaking of which, we had a very heated "today's professionals." a dad who blogged he has two sons and clearly he admits he has a favorite, and according to a child psychologist, 95% of people are favorite and the other 5 are lying. let's throw it out there as parents. mr. roker. >> can i talk for one second because we asked our viewers what they thought. 85% of our viewers said they

would never admit to having a favorite child. >> does it mean they have a favorite? >> al. >> here's the deal. you love your children. would you do anything for them. i think on any given day you have a give and take with your child, with your different children, but you still love them. i don't think you love one more than the other. one isn't more your favorite than the other. just some days, look, some days courtney is, you know, up at the day and another day laila is. >> so like the stock market. >> wow. >> what's the premise -- i think, by the way, the same thing happens -- >> i was an only child because i'm scarred for life in the belief that my parents had favorites. >> wow. >> i think definitely growing up i think you always feel like they don't love me equally, right? and so i would hate to to pass that on to my children. >> there's my older sister patricia. always patricia, patricia, patricia. >> i'd like to speak out for my mom right now.

>> i have a brother and sister, sister and i were really close in age. my mom was so conscientious. she bent over backwards to make it clear she had no favorites, if i got a lollipop, my sister got a lollipop and whatever it was, she worked hard tat so much so that both of us grew up knowing that they loved us equally. >> the point, the blogger was making, is that -- with his son that he was saying he's favored, now able to play ball with him, maybe at a different age, and i think there's certainly something to be said, you're more relating to that child. >> it's human relationships. >> right, exactly. >> i love all three girls the same, maybe one that's funnier and crazy we relate better. any parent that publicly says that. >> to write about it because your child is going to live with that and read it. >> let's sign up for therapy sessions. >> definitely. let's move on. have you seen this fashion model strutting the runway in milan six months pregnant.

i think she looks spectacular. >> i don't like that -- not that bikini. >> the other one, i don't think it's a cute bikini, but she looks amazing. >> by the way, you see women on the beach pregnant. >> i guess the question that people are saying is it empowerment, or is it more of a publicity stunt? >> yes, yes. >> by the way, how many magazine covers do we have to see before we stop being shocked that women are pregnant. i personally as a guy, not just saying this like a nice guy with women, i think pregnant women are so sexy. >> so beautiful. >> i think it's one of the sexiest times for women. >> donny, are you trying to get a date? >> not with a pregnant woman. >> let's agree on one thing. one problem donny deutsch doesn't have is getting a date. >> set the record straight. >> i really do. i really do, because you guys have sullied my reputation on this show. >> wow. >> and you kind of painted me in this position that every time i try to go out with a girl, we hear you're a player, where everybody knows i'm not, but

it's this show, that's matt lauer. all the time. >> he speaks the truth. >> poor dony. >> just kidding. donny, you're a dreamboat. >> next topic. did you guys hered about the snookiville law. a new jersey state legislator who is offering legislation to give municipalities more say over what happens in their borders when a reality tv show moves into town, including, i guess in the case of "jersey shore," hiring more police. >> yes. >> so that -- we need protection. >> police with other things to do aren't burdened by the extra work. what do you think? >> first of all, these towns -- you have to file permits. there are certain things you have to do, certain bonds you have to put up when you come into a town to film these shows. >> our town said no to snooki and jwoww when they wanted to bring the hoe to hockey ken. >> cities and towns take out ad campaigns to try to get film companies to come and film because of all the tax breaks

they get. it's a revenue stream, so i found this very, very strange. there's a reason that we let people film in new york city. it's good for the city from a revenue point of view. >> they do have to hire a lot of extra people on hand. my town also has "the cake boss," carlos' bakery, the line stretches around the block every day. >> buddy valestro is good for business. >> good for business and good for the town but you want to keep order and peace. >> maybe more appearances than supermodels, this cat, take a look at cat we've got. bonus take. feels very strongly how her owner wears these glasses. >> oh. . >> take them off. >> the cat's making a spectacle of herself. >> that's cute. >> she really does not like the glasses. >> i think you should try that for the "today" show, three hours of youtube pet videos. side by side. >> one more video here of this cute little rescue pooch who just discovered that her -- her

chew toy makes a squeaky noise. that just happens to be my dog. not any rescue pooch. >> you just rescued her from shelter. >> mainline animal rescue down in pennsylvania, and -- >> how did you pick the name pepper? >> because she's kind of pepperish looking, really salt and pepper, but that was too much. >> her full name is salt and pepper. >> okay. >> al is going to be taking youtube videos day and night. >> look at that face. look at that face. >> fantastic. >> donny deutsch, thanks for hanging out. >> a daddy again. >> congratulations. >> my new favorite child. >> who what is this, a banquette. >> a window seat. >> a library. coming up next, deep discounts on everything from clothes to jewelry on "steals and deals." jill's coming up right after this. -[ taste buds ] donuts, donuts! -who are these guys?

-oh, that's just my buds. -bacon. -my taste buds. -[ taste buds ] donuts. how about we try this new kind of fiber one cereal? you think you're going to slip some fiber by us? okay. ♪ fiber one is gonna make you smile. ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing new fiber one nutty clusters and almonds. [ male announcer ] introducing new fiber one there's a place where the sky is always blue and the kids always eat their vegetables. because the salad there is always served with the original hidden valley ranch. it's the way ranch is supposed to taste.

and try italians and vinaigrettes from hidden valley. stop by walmart this saturday. wireless. take a one-minute demo of our new lg optimus zip. for every demo we'll donate one dollar to make-a-wish. up to one million dollars. visit one-minute-one-million-dot-com to find a participating walmart near you. nature valley trail mix bars are made with real ingredients you can see. like whole roasted nuts, chewy granola, and real fruit. nature valley trail mix bars. 100% natural. 100% delicious. ♪ i woke up to a feeling ♪ every little thing has meaning ♪

♪ i woke up to a light bulb on ♪ every little thing is possible now ♪ [ female announcer ] we've added a touch of philadelphia cream cheese to our kraft natural cheese to make it creamier so whatever you make isn't just good, it's amazing. ♪ ...is amazing with the love that i found ♪ ♪ this morning on jill's steals and deals, some items 80% off for yourself or to give at gifts. "us weekly" jill martin's is here to take us through the offers. good morning. >> good morning. >> remind us about the process and how is shipping usually included. >> go on to today.com right now. a lot of these items will sell out instantly, so if you want them, really go on now. they will ship within two weeks. >> okay. >> but if you order after they are sold out, it might take a little longer, so just go on and

check it out. >> just be clear with the shipping costs and everything. >> first up, the beautiful scarves from noma, all the beautiful colors. >> $120, hand-dyed peshmina gauze. >> pretty. >> i just knocked them over. >> all eco-friendly dyes, done in l.a., and there are six different color waves. they retail $125. the deal $23. 82% off. >> good deal. >> that is perfect. >> okay. now i love these. these jewelry boxes from j.w. london. >> these will fly. retail at $250. cracked leather, exterior fashioned after a vintage train case. see how pretty these are, and there's a mini travel box inside. the second shelf actually folds up, and then can you take it with you which is great. >> great. >> so the retail -- >> i like how everybody goes $ooh. retails $250 and the deal is 68.

>> genuine leather. these necklaces have unusual messages on them. tell me about that. >> this is really cool and techie. i feel like al is going to get this for his wife, right up his alley. retail from 160 to 195. front of the pendant, take your smartphone, and there's an app and you scan it and there's a message on it. mine says the sky's the limit and on the back it says inspire. a beautiful gift. a little different. the gifty has to have a smartphone when you get it. >> silver or gold-filled, all manufactured in the u.s. two finishes. retail 160-195. the deal 39.99. up to 80% off. >> great. like getting coded message, i like it. okay, next. these great towels from nestin. >> fall, retail for $69, and this is the company's signature

world traveler bathroom towel set. you get a wash towel, a hand towel, a bath towel, available in eight colors. they retail $69. the deal $21. >> beautiful. >> and super soft. what are they made of? >> yeah, and can you feel it. so they are made of bamboo. >> no wonder they are so soft. >> over here luggage from travel pro. >> ready to go on a trip for me? >> these did very well last time. retail $300 to $400. four styles. the 22-inch to take on the plane, and the 24-inch, the 26 inch and 28 inch expand al roller board suiters. nilon, available in black or moss. you see the two colors. stain and abrasion repellant. retail $300 to $4 up. the deal is $69 to $89, up to 78% off. >> fantastic. >> now we just need a trip. >> let's plan one. that's next. >> jill martin, thank you. and, again, let's review our

products. we have the scarves from noma, the jewelry boxes from j.w. london, the necklaces from miriam merenfeld, towels from nestin and luggage from travel pro. if you have questions about the products, head to our website today.com and steals and deals. coming up, the hottest headlines when it comes to your health, but first, these messages. let's say you want to get ahead in your career. how do you get from here... to here? at university of phoenix we're moving career planning forward so you can start figuring that out sooner. in fact, by thinking about where you want your education to lead, while you're still in school, you might find the best route leads somewhere you weren't even looking. let's get to work. oh, it's so good! if this image robbed you of the great taste of untopped triscuit...

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♪ i woke up to a feeling ♪ every little thing has meaning ♪ ♪ i woke up to a light bulb on ♪ every little thing is possible now ♪ [ female announcer ] we've added a touch of philadelphia cream cheese to our kraft natural cheese to make it creamier so whatever you make isn't just good, it's amazing. ♪ ...is amazing with the love that i found ♪ ♪ on their own are amazing, but press out some biscuit dough, add some sauce and some pepperoni and cheese and monday's dinner is now a grands mini pizza party.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> we did into the 40's, but it will turn out to be a pleasant afternoon. sunshine during the day. clouds will thicken up late today and into tonight. scattered showers, a high near 78. it will clear up slowly at

♪ part of me that's you're never going to take away me ♪ ♪ this is a part of me ♪ that you're never going ever take away from me ♪ >> well, you might call her a one-woman costume party. her name is jessica mooney or dressy jesse. she likes to call herself, and she dresses up as a different character every different day of the week to fit in with her weekly themes. this has been going on for more than three years. she has more than 800 pictures, and we will talk to her tomorrow about her whimsical project. only on "today." wow. >> she's got a lot of time on her hands. >> goodness gracious. a great time for t.halloween.

>> wow. >> good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie alongside al roker and natalie morales. coming up, a new segment called joy's healthy bite. >> joy bauer will chew over the latest knew industries and health news from yogurt's impact on blood pressure to celebrities celebrating their curves. she's got the scoop. >> all right. then we all know about the ponzi scheme pulled off by bernie madoff, and the scams actually happen quite a bit on a smaller scale all the time. so how can you protect your nest eggs from bad advice and advisers? we'll have five tips to protect your money. then in today's kitchen, finger foods for your next get-together, plus a bit of an italian flair. >> is popcorn italian? >> apparently it is. >> it's how you season it. >> look at that. >> the old-fashioned way. >> i like popcorn that way. >> remember jiffy pop? >> yeah, nothing better, on the little silver thing. >> all pop up, delicious. >> i bet you it's going to be

better than jiffy pop though. >> i think so. >> let's get a check of the weather. >> here's what we've got for you for today. gorgeous day along the east coast with a high pressure dominating. risk of strong storms though in the mid-mississippi river valley. wet weather stretches into the ohio river valley and out west gorgeous weather. then for tomorrow that rain stretches from new england, the northeast, all the way back into the central plains, sunny and warm from the southwest into the pacific northwest, and nice and warm through the southeast and the southern part of florida is continually getting rain. more of it tomorrow. right now they have -- they are about 31 inches above inial for the year in miami. that's what's going on aat >> it will turn out to be a pretty nice afternoon. a mixture of sun and clouds. high temperature into the low to mid 70's.

and that's your latest weather. >> coming up next, nutrition news you can use, right after this. you won't run into kenmore appliances just anywhere. only sears is celebrating the 100th anniversary of america's number one appliance brand, with up to 25% off all kenmore appliances, plus an extra 15% off all appliance brands with your sears card. this is worth running into. this is sears. oh, it's so good! if this image robbed you of the great taste of untopped triscuit... goat cheese? come on! this is america! ...sorry. [ male announcer ] 100% whole grain woven for an untoppable taste. [ crunch ]

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bite." today new triesist joy bauer will break down nutrition studies to hot hollywood fitness trends and the next big super food. >> the latest and greatest from the health world. >> that's right. now we've got the latest development and the benefits to eating yogurt. >> right. this is particularly important because 76 million american adults currently have high blood pressure, and last week the american heart association at their blood pressure conference presented this research showing that people who regularly eat yogurt, and regularly, al, is only defined as eating it two to three times per week, were able to significantly reduce the risk for them getting high blood pressure. >> is there a certain kind of yogurt? >> well, you have to be really careful on what yogurt you pick. don't want to pick one that's riddled with the wrong type of fat and sugar, so in the ideal world what you're going to pick is a plain non-fat or low-fat yogurt, any brand, and then you're going to doctor it up yourself with the option of one teaspoon of either sugar, maple

syrup, honey, even agave works and add on chopped fruit, even better, but if you want to buy the flares already mixed in for you, the ones on the market that come in strawberry and blueberry and passion fruit, check the label and just make sure the brand has no more than 20 grams of sugar per serving, and most of the non-fat and 2% low-fat greek yogurts fit the bill. >> greek yogurt is so hot. >> so hot and a lot of protein. we don't know if the blood pressure benefit comes from the calcium or milk proteins, we just know that it's there so for people who like yogurt, carry on. >> this weekend i grilled some figs and put it over greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey. >> call me, al. >> another hot food right now, avocado. i remember as a kid my mother making avocado with a little tuna fish in the middle of it, but it's a big hot food right now. >> it's a big hot food. a really fun article in the "wall street journal" a couple of days ago, and it showed that

in 2011 avocado sales spiked by 11%. >> why? >> but this year we have just in the first half of the year, it's more than 30%, and i think it's a combination. first is that thankfully people are embracing fat. we know that all fat is not evil, and the type of fat in avocados is unsaturated fat so it's really healthy for your heart. it drives down cholesterol levels, but also a lot of national chains like paneras and subway and au bon pain, adding sliced avocados to sandwiches. a lot of people not normally buying avocado are tasting them and falling in love with their creamy deliciousness. >> when you get that kind of demand, will that affect the price at all, do you think? >> i'm going to say i hope not. i really hope not, and i love what you do, because you really can take two tablespoons, mash it up and use it as a healthy alternative to mayo. fortuna salad, for chicken salad, salmon salad, even as a sandwich spread and, of course,

guacamole. love guacamole. >> the next headline, interesting. partnership to give people some financial incentives to be healthier, so tell us about this one. >> this is awesome, and i hope a lot of insurance companies are listening and they follow suit. humana has teamed up with walmart, and what they are doing is offering 1 million wellness members 5% off all healthy food that's offered at walmart. >> wow. >> so walmart has more than 1,000 items, and they have stamped an icon called great for you rig on the products. it's the usual suspects. fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, protein foods, and starting october 15th, humana members are going to be able to buy them with a 5% discount. could you imagine if other insurance companies, are you listening? >> subsidizing. >> yeah. >> terrific. >> gym memberships and fitness equipment. >> and really quickly, celebrity world, lady gaga. >> right. so everyone has seen the picture of her with the 25 pounds on all

over the media, and i'm not here to talk about her weight gain. i want to talk about her weight loss. she's committed, and i calculated that she burns about 800 calories with each and every performance, so she's on a world tour right now. al, you and i are going to forecast that before thanksgiving, she is going to be back to her tip top shape. she doesn't have to give up pizza and pasta. she can get thin crust, light on the cheese, pile on the vegetables and enjoy pizza, and with pasta, just order it with double the amounts of vegetables in it, you poof up the volume, drive down the carbohydrates, the calories are fine. she's going to be back. >> what's terrific is she's just admitting it and not, you know, going hog wild about i should lose this weight. >> she's out there. >> good for her. >> and hopefully she will inspire other people who are struggling with 20, 30 pounds to knock it off with her. >> and instead of wearing a meat suit, she will wear a vegetable suit. >> i love that. >> veggie suit. >> we'll ask her. >> thanks so much. coming up next, how to avoid

getting taken for a ride by a financial adviser, right after these messages. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] if you have yet to master the quiet sneeze... ♪ [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] you may be an allergy muddler. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour 1 on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour 3. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] zyrtec®. love the air. join zyrtec® rewards. save up to $7 on zyrtec® products. ♪ something to me ♪ that nobody else could do

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this single scoop of gain gives more freshness than a whole box of this other stuff... and that much freshness is gonna take some getting used to... [ sniffing ] ahh. mmm! [ male announcer ] 'cause it's a lot... ok...it's a lot of freshness. [ sniffing ] get irresistibly fresh with gain. get even more gain at a new lower price! this morning on "today's money," one of the biggest threats it your financial security is bad advice on investments. cnbc personal finance correspondent sharon epperson has important tips on making the right choice. good morning to you, sharon. >> good morning, natalie. >> so this is a really tough thing to talk about because a lot of people learned the hard

way with bernard madoff, but financial advisers taking advantage or scamming their customers. how big a problem is this? >> it actually is quite a big problem. the cfp bore, the non-profit organization that certifies financial planners, said over half of their planners, people coming to them, particularly older americans, have been victims of some form of financial abuse, either because of the advice that they were given or the investments that they made, and so now they are in another situation on round two or three trying to rectify the situation. >> all right. so let's get to some important advice so they don't become a victim. you say the first thing is you want to hire a financial adviser, be sure to check them out thoroughly. do your home ork. >> one of the basic things, ask and check. want to know what their employment history is like, if they have had disciplinary action taken against them, are they certified, registered financial planners, and places to go to check, if it's a broker or someone selling you investments, go to finra.org,

for the broker check. want to feigned out about your financial adviser and all of these things as well, go to the s.e.c.gov, security and exchange commission and adviserinfosec.gov and cfp net is a place to go to see if they are a certified financial planner. >> there's always a level of risk so it's good to get investment pros and cons and know what level of risk you're willing to take. >> absolutely right. one of the things when checking them out, know how they are compensated and what fees are involved, and also want to know what fees are involved with the investments that they are suggesting and what the pros and cons are of various investments. if they are telling you about a particular investment and only telling you the upside, the potential would turn that it make not how much it costs you in terms of fees or the downside, probably not an investment you want to make, at least not right away. definitely get a second opinion. >> important to create a paper trail. be aware of all your paperwork

and payments. document everything you do. >> this is critical, and so many people don't do this. you're working with a financial adviser. that's great, but the actual statements that you get about your investments probably should not have that adviser's first name and last name and letterhead on them. they should come from securities firm or a brokerage firm where those investments are held. you also want to make sure that any paperwork that you do does not have blanks on it, and if it does, if you sign something and you're waiting for a signature on the other side, then you want to make sure that the paperwork that you receive back says submitted on it that you have everything there filled out. when you make a check out, don't make it out in the adviser's name. make it out to the firm or to a brokerage firm. you're not making it out to the person directly. you don't want them to have control over all your money. >> right. full access to your account. >> exactly. >> also, most people who are seeking financial advice usually are doing so because they have experienced some life-changing moment, unfortunately, which could affect their pockets, so you say avoid making hasty decisions. >> it can be -- >> be careful.

>> it could be a great thing, too. just had a baby, and now you're like now i'm going to get my financial life in order and will put all my money into a college savings plan. have you saved enough for retirement. you want to make sure you don't do or make hasty decisions if you just got divorced or a death in the family or something like that. make sure you take the time and also take the time to find out what the charges and fees are involved, you know, as you wait to make these decisions. >> and the last point, a good one, designate a financial power of attorney for your finances the same way that you have a power of attorney over your health. >> exactly. if you become incapacitated, there's a way that you're unable to make financial decisions for yourself, you want to have a friend, a relative, someone that you trust who is your financial power of attorney to make these decisions for you, another gut check on the financial adviser that you may be working with so that they again do not have full reign over all of your finances, that someone is stepping in to make sure it is right and find a financial power of attorney, get the documented done with answer tate planning attorney. >> sharon epperson, great advice

as always. thanks so much, and there's more information, by the way, on our website at today.com. coming up next, italian-inspired finger food, but first, this is "today" on nbc. anncr: more anti-maryland ads.

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good morning. in today's kitchen finger food on the menu. >> hey, it's football season. great time to impress your family and friends with small plates that pack big flavor. chef mike isabella is the author of "crazy good italian." good to see you. >> thank you, thank you. tailgating type of foods, don't think italian. >> you don't. think more american, simple. do things like wings, burger and dogs and things like that. >> you'll show us how to make it a little italian style. >> today we're making some roasted chicken rings with pepperoni sauce. >> pepperoni sauce. >> you really don't think pepperoni, think of eating it just like this. >> sure. >> or like that. >> so what we're going to do, onions and garlic sweating in

here. throw that pepperoni in. throw that right in here. >> how much is this? >> that's about, you know, a little less than a quarter of a pound. >> want to sweat it a little bit, let it come down. let all the flavors come out. there's a lot of fats inside of -- >> really. >> inside of pepperoni. >> i did not know that. >> so that's kind of sweating down. i have some fennel seed and a little bit of chili flake that i'll toast up now. those are two main spices that are inside pepperoni. so when i make a sauce, don't want to dilute it so i have a little spice. >> pop it up a little. >> toast that up and throw it in here and toss that tomato sauce in here. >> all righty. >> and then a little bit of chicken broth. >> all of it? >> put it all in there. we'll threat cook, and this is going to cook for about 45 minutes, let it simmer until it gets nice and -- the pepperoni gets soft and loosened up, and then we're going to puree that sauce up a little bit. >> put it in a food processor. >> right in a blender.

put in right in a blender, let it go for a couple of minutes. chicken wings, cleaned them up, tips off and the wings and we're basically going to marin ate these. throw that rosemary, lemon and garlic in here. >> mm-hmm. >> how long do you let this marin ate here? >> back into the refrigerator for about two and a half hours. you want to kind of threat get -- >> leave it in overnight if you want to? >> won't hurt it at all. fresh rosemary and fresh lemon and garlic. break up the rosemary, too, fresh flavors in there. i'm just trying to build these italian flavors. rosemary, pepperoni, and then i'm going to take them out of the fridge, put them on to a roasting pan and pop them into the oven and roast them. ost them for about 30 minutes, 30, 35 minutes, until cooked through and then we have our -- our infamous pepperoni sauce. i have a little red wine vinegar to bring it out. eat pope rony a little times, sometimes you teeth with pickled vegetables and mustard, put a

little vinegar to pop the flavor. >> and slather this on. >> slather it on. they look like buffalo wings. >> let's stick this in the back. >> do look like buffalo wings. >> a couple of other finger foods for us. >> popcorn. >> got some nice spiced popcorn here. basically what i did is i took flavors that my sister would eat as a kid. pasta with garlic, butter, parmesan cheese, a little oregano. >> and red pepper flakes. >> i like that. >> like a pizza popcorn. >> hazel nut and chocolate nut cookies right there. >> very nice. >> oh, good. >> that's awesome. >> that's delish. >> little garlic powder, butter, can't go wrong with butter. >> did you know there's fat in pep rone? >> mike isabella, thank you so much. >> mike isabella, thank you so much. [ male announcer ] for the dreamers...

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